Mayo Clinic Health Letter Tip of the Month - February 2003

Tuesday, February 25, 2003

Light as Therapy Helps Many with Seasonal Affective Disorder

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — It's the dead of winter, and you can't shake the blues. You may be experiencing a form of depression called seasonal affective disorder — SAD.

For about three out of four people suffering from SAD, light therapy has been shown to improve symptoms, according to the February issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter. Light therapy involves spending specific amounts of time using a specially designed lamp each day. The light that is given off is comparable to outdoor light just after sunrise or just before sunset. Your doctor can help you select the proper light box and instruct you in how much time to use the light each day, from 15 minutes to up to two hours.

Despite the disorder's acronym — SAD — these seasonal bouts of depression may go beyond simply feeling sad. Other symptoms often include loss of energy, anxiety, irritability, headache, increased sleep, diminished interest in sex, cravings for high carbohydrate foods, weight gain from overeating and problems concentrating. Whether mild or severe, SAD is best handled with help from your doctor. In addition to light therapy, treatment may include drugs, some kinds of psychological therapy, stress reduction and relaxation techniques.

Exercise, Combined with Healthy Eating, Helps Keep Pounds Off

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — 'Twas the season for friends, family and too much food. Now, it's time to face those extra pounds.

According to the February issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter, exercise is a key component to long-term weight loss.

Cutting down on the calories you consume allows you to lose more weight than does exercising. However, research shows that for people who don't exercise, the pounds they lose often come back within three to five years. By contrast, people who begin with a program of physical exercise and activity may not experience immediate weight loss, but over the long term, research shows that regular exercise is a more effective way to keep the weight off over a number of years.

Whether through diet, exercise or a combination, to lose a pound a week, you need to eliminate 500 calories a day (or 3,500 calories a week).

Health Tips for Tennis Elbow and Golfer's Elbow

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — When playing tennis or golf makes your elbow hurt, the cause could be tendinitis, a painful condition when tendons, which attach muscles to bone, become inflamed or irritated due to tiny tears. Recovery can take several weeks or months. The February issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter offers tips that may help:

• Stop the activity that aggravates the pain. Wearing a snug forearm strap or splint may help decrease the pull of the forearm muscles on the injured tendons.
• Treat the pain — Massage the area with ice for five to eight minutes at a time, three or four times a day. You can also try acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen) for pain relief, unless otherwise directed by your doctor.
• Strengthen muscles — Gentle stretches or exercising may be recommended to strengthen wrist and forearm muscles and prevent reinjury.
• Correct improper technique — A sports professional may be able to instruct you on proper form.

Mayo Clinic Health Letter is an eight-page monthly newsletter of reliable, accurate and practical information on today's health and medical news. To subscribe, please call toll-free 1-800-333-9037, extension 9PR1.

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